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Tips For Streaming On Twitch | Things You Need To Know

With more and more people hopping in the stream scene each and every month, I felt like it would be helpful to make a list of of some of the best tips for streaming on Twitch.

Tips for Streaming on Twitch

Here is the list of tips for streaming on Twitch:

  1. Use a Quality Streaming Software
  2. Make Creative Titles
  3. Have Nice Looking Overlays
  4. Use a Camera
  5. Have Good Audio
  6. Stick to a Schedule
  7. Be Engaging
  8. Use Twitch Extensions
  9. Use Bots to Moderate Chat
  10. Network
  11. Have Good Lighting
  12. Don’t Stream Saturated Games
  13. Use Social Media
  14. Create a Youtube Channel
  15. Invite Your Friends and Family to Watch You
  16. Create a Brand/Theme
  17. Be Patient
  18. Be Consistent
  19. Don’t Give Up
  20. Have High Energy on Stream
  21. Don’t Compare Yourself to Others

Use a Quality Streaming Software

If you are new to streaming, or even if you have been streaming for a long time, you need to have a quality streaming software.

If not, you may spend more time fixing bugs and errors on your stream than you will spend actually streaming.

This is why I recommend using Streamlabs. It is the streaming software used by most streamers, it has a super easy UI and a great forum to help you solve any issues that you may encounter.

If you want to take your streaming software to the next level, then I recommend upgrading to Streamlabs Prime (click here to check it out).

I upgraded a few months ago and I absolutely love it. You get so many things when you upgrade such as free overlays, the ability to multi-stream, access to all of their app store and much much more.

Using a quality streaming software like Streamlabs is great, but upgrading to Streamlabs Prime is a complete game changer. And if you use my link here, you get a discount on Streamlabs Prime.

Creative Titles

One of the easiest things you can do to improve your streams is come up with creative titles. Try to come up with something catchy and creative. Something that will make people want to click on your stream. 

Now I do not think the title of your stream will make or break your stream, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. Having a catchy title could be the small edge you need to have someone click on your stream versus that of another streamer.

And when you are a growing streamer you need all the little advantages that you can get. 

Have Nice Looking Overlays

Once people are in your stream, the next thing they will see are the aesthetics of your stream. Do you have a cool follower alert?

Do you have a sweet camera border? A fancy top bar? Having nice overlays will you make you look like a serious streamer, even if you are still trying to grow. 

Having good looking overlays is an easy and effective way to show your viewers that you are serious about streaming; you are not just turning on the stream and going for it. 

Having unique overlays also helps you to stand out among other streamers. If you are interested in some amazing overlays then I recommend using OWNED.TV (click here to see some of their overlays).

I have used some of their overlays and they look amazing. They are customizable and super easy to setup. 

In my opinion it is better to get your overlays from a well known company rather than hiring a graphics designers.

I have used both and in my opinion the OWN3D.TV overlays are not only better, they are also easier to upload to your stream.

I felt like when I used other graphics designers that some of their dimensions would be off and so I would always have to adjust the designs they sent me.

OWN3D TV Overlays

You won’t have that problem with OWNED.TV. If you are looking for cool overlays to add to your stream then I highly recommend OWNED.TV. 

Use a Camera

If you want to grow on Twitch you are going to have to get over any camera shyness that you have. Are there big streamers who do not use a camera? Yes. But they are definitely the exception and not the rule. Most streamers use a camera and you should too.

A camera gives your stream a more personal touch. Twitch is all about building connections and it is hard to do that with someone you never see.

If you are cracked at a certain game, you may be able to get away with it, but that is only like 1% of people who stream on Twitch.

The rest of us will be much more successful using a webcam. I am a small streamer and I have noticed that I get a lot more people visiting my streams when I use a webcam than when I do not.

Seeing a camera with a nice little camera overlays is much more clickable than just a plain ol’ stream playing a plain ol’ video game.  

If you are looking for a camera, start with a webcam like the Logitech BRIO (click here to view it on Amazon). This is the webcam that I use and I love it.

It is the best webcam out there, and the price is very low when compared to a regular camera. 

Have Good Audio

I think even more important than a good camera is good audio. If someone pops in your stream, and your mic sounds like nails on a chalkboard, then they will not stick around. Why is someone going to stick around to have their ears tortured like that?

No camera, or poor video quality may not attract someone to your stream, but it certainly won’t chase them away immediately like an obnoxious sounding mic will.

And a good mic is not all that expensive. You can get a good sounding mic like the Blue Snowball iCE (which you can see here on Amazon) for around $50. 

Now if you are looking for something even better then I would go with the Blue Yeti X (click here to check it out on Amazon). This mic is often rated as the best streaming mic and so you can be assured you will like it. I use the Blue Yeti and it is great!

Stick to a Schedule

It is important as an upcoming streamer that you stick to a schedule. Having a schedule allows your community to plan to be able to watch your stream. You can become a part of their daily or weekly routine. 

Maybe you stream in the morning and so every morning your community knows they can watch you while they get ready for work or for school.

If they don’t know when you will be streaming, they will be less likely to come through and watch your streams. 

If your community can count on you being live every Saturday at 10 am, then if they are on Twitch at 10 am on a Saturday they might just pay your channel a visit. You can set a schedule weekly, or monthly, but the key is to have one and make it known to your community.  

My Schedule

Having a schedule helps you to become part of the routines of your community. 

If you need help creating a schedule on Twitch, check out this article by clicking here. 

Be Engaging

If you are going to be a streamer, you have to be engaging. Sitting there and breathing heavy on your mic is not an option. Talk to your viewers.

Get to know those who visit your channel. Do things that are going to make people feel a connection to your stream and make them want to stick around. 

Think of ways that you can better help people feel connected to your streams and they will be much more likely to stick around. And always remember, you only get one chance to make a first impression. 

Use Twitch Extensions

Twitch Extensions are fun little tools that you can use to interact with your stream or to help you complete certain tasks. These extensions can help you create polls, help you make a schedule, help run your music, etc. etc.

Twitch Extensions Categories

Now the full list of Twitch extensions is quite large, so if you want to know which Twitch Extensions I think are the best out there, then go ahead and check out the article that I wrote on the matter by clicking here.

Once you feel comfortable streaming, and you are looking to make some upgrades, then I definitely recommend using some Twitch Extensions on your stream.

Use Bots to Moderate Chat

When you first start streaming on Twitch it is easy for you to moderate your chat because you will probably only have a few people in your chat at a time. But once you start growing, you will want to get a bot to help you moderate your chat.

A bot can help detect any kind of language that you do not want on your stream and remove it. Not only can bots help to moderate chat, they can also do things like send mass messages and generate automated responses to frequently asked questions.

Once you have started to build a small little following on Twitch, bots are something that you will definitely want to look into. If you want more information on Twitch bots, check out my article by clicking here..

Network

Sorry you had to see this word, but it’s true; as much as you may hate it, you will have to network in order to grow on Twitch. That means reaching out to people on Twitter and Twitch and help support their channels as they help support yours.

The cool part about networking on Twitch is that you can network while you play video games so that is always a major plus, but having to network and reach out to people can be a bit uncomfortable for some people I get that.

If you want more information about networking, check out my article that I wrote about networking by clicking here.

Have Good Lighting

I think that lighting is one of the most underrated tips when it comes to streaming on Twitch. A lot of small streamers struggle to have good lighting on their streams and the funny thing is that good lighting is not expensive at all. It may even be free! 

Even just opening up a window and letting light shine though can help to provide good lighting for your streams. 

Good lighting is one of those things that will make your stream look more professional. There are tons of great ring lights out there, but my favorite ring light to use is the EL Gato Ring Light (click here to see it on Amazon). Being able to control the light from your phone is just awesome!

I like using El Gato products because you can link the products together easily. For this reason I have begun buying El Gato when possible.

They are also one of the best brands when it comes to streaming and so you know you are using quality products. 

And lastly, one basic tip for lighting, in most setups with just one camera and one light, you will want to place the light behind the camera, not in front of the camera or to the side of the camera.

Having your light directly behind the camera will give you the best lighting for your streams. 

Don’t Stream Saturated Games

Saturated games are games with tons of streamers that stream the game. I am writing this in January of 2021 and so current examples of these games are Fortnite, Warzone and Rust.

Are there thousands of viewers watching these games? Yes. But there is also hundreds if not thousands of streamers streaming these games as well. 

Fortnite

If you go and search for new streamers on these games you can scroll, and scroll and scroll and you still might not hit the bottom of the page. Now ask yourself, what are the chances that of the thousands of streams, someone clicks on your stream? Not very likely. 

It makes more sense to stream a game with a couple thousand active viewers, but only a few people streaming the game. Your chances then for being discovered would be much much higher because there would be far less competition. 

So if you are trying to grow on Twitch, find a game that you enjoy, that is not too saturated and have at it. For more information on choosing a game to stream, check out my article here.

Use Social Media 

As you may already know, Twitch does not do the greatest job of pushing new streamers on their channel. For this reason you will have to bring people to your channel through other means. For many streamers, one of these means is social media. 

And just so you know, the platform where most streamers hang out is Twitter. Twitter is a great platform to network and connect with other streamers.

There are tons of streamers with channels similar to your size that you can link up with and work together with. You can also use Twitter to keep in touch with your community and let them know when you will be going live. 

Instagram is another great social media to use, but is not as popular as Twitter when it comes to streaming. Instagram is used more for posting game clips or pictures from a streamers personal life and not so much to network. 

Regardless of which social media you decide to use, you will need to use something besides Twitch to network and promote your stream.

With that being said, Twitter and Instagram are the two most popular social media networks when it comes to streaming.

Oh, and one more thing, feel free to follow me on my social media accounts:) Here is my Twitter and here is my Instagram. Thank you!

Create a Youtube Channel

The thing with live streaming is that people are only really able to see your content when you are live. But how can you attract new followers when you are not live? Insert a Youtube channel.

Youtube has a much more favorable algorithm when it comes to being discovered than Twitch does. And since your content is available on Youtube 24/7, 365, you can be found by someone at any time and not just when you are live. 

However, unless you are really good at a game, or already have a solid following, then I do not recommend making gaming content, just of you playing a game, on your Youtube channel.

There are thousands, probably even tens of thousands of channels making gaming clips/highlights. Why is your content going to stand out?

No really, you have to ask yourself that. What are you doing differently to make your content more discoverable on Youtube.

For example, maybe you make how to videos. Maybe you do things in the game that nobody else is doing. What are you giving to those who sub to your Youtube channel? You have to provide value of some kind. 

If not, then your Youtube channel is just one among the tens of thousands of channels making Warzone gameplay video. 

And then on top of that, how are you going to convert those people from your Youtube channel to your Twitch channel?

One of the biggest things I have learned about content creation is that you have to provide value to those who support your content. Give them reasons to come back again and again and again. 

Lastly, here is my Youtube channel and if you subscribe to it you are awesome!

Youtube Background

Invite Your Friends and Your Family to Watch You

This is one of the easiest things you can do to increase viewers and engagement on your Twitch stream. One of the things you need to gain affiliate on Twitch is have 3 average viewers. So what if you have your mom, brother and girlfriend all put your stream on and let it sit? Boom, three average viewers. 

I know you may have some hesitations about letting your friends know you stream, but you have to get over that. The more people you can get chatting and watching your streams, the more likely your channel will grow.

And not to mention, your close friends and family should be your biggest supporters and so what better people to support your streams than them?

Having someone who can be in there and welcome newcomers to your stream is awesome and is a big step in building your community on Twitch.

Create a Brand/Theme

Your stream/channel should be the same across all platforms. This is part of you building your brand. You should not be one thing on Twitch, another thing on Youtube and another thing on Twitter. That is way too hard to keep track of and doesn’t help you to build a community. 

I have seen a ton of streamers take this a step further and give a name to their community. One of the best at this is Nickmercs. His channel is Nickmercs and anyone who subscribes to his Twitch channel is part of the “MFam”. 

If you want to know how to build and promote a brand, he is an excellent streamer to pay attention to. The goal is to create a community that people will recognize regardless of where they find your content. 

Be Patient

I know this can be super hard, but it is a must if you want to make it on Twitch. It takes time to grow on Twitch. For many of the big names on Twitch, they spent YEARS streaming before they had any success. And by years I mean like almost ten years. 

Now obviously there are many examples of people who stream for a few months and they hit affiliate, or even partner, but this is not the norm. And congrats to those people. But just understand for most of us it will take some time.

So with that being said, my best recommendation would be to enjoy the journey, accept that it may take some time to get to where you want to be as a streamer, and don’t give up because you never know how close you are to succeeding. 

It’s like the old saying goes, “Patience is a virtue”.  

Be Consistent

One of the most important things you can do to grow on Twitch is to be consistent. Set a schedule and stick to it. People can’t follow you if they never know when you will be on next. Also, try not to have huge gaps where you don’t stream.

Life happens, and there may be times where you are pulled away from streaming for a bit, but try to make that the exception and not the rule.

Your community needs to be able to rely on you for great content/entertainment. It’s hard to support someone they can’t rely on to stream. 

And being consistent does not necessarily mean streaming all the time. It just means that on the days and times that you say you are going to stream, you come through and you stream a banger. Consistency is key. 

Don’t Give Up

I like the meme where two people are digging for gold and one person gives up a couple feet before striking gold and the other person keeps going and discovers the gold mine. Don’t be that person who gives up a couple feet from the gold mine. 

If you are constantly trying to improve your stream, improve how you interact with your community, improve how you are on camera, etc., etc., you will be much more likely to make it on Twitch.

People who do nothing but turn on the stream and go for it will be much less likely to succeed. 

You may be surprised to hear that many of the big time streamers spend hours off the stream brainstorming and scheming ways to improve their streams.

If you want it, you have to understand that it is going to be a grind, but that success could be right around the corner and you don’t even know it.

So don’t give up. Stick to the grind and learn to enjoy it. 

Have High Energy on Stream

This tip is very underrated, but also very important. You have to have high energy when you stream. If you look at your stream summary, you will probably see that you had more people visit your stream (unique viewers) than you realized. 

Now you have to ask yourself, “why did that person visit your stream and not stick around?” Oftentimes it is because there was some radio silence. You went ghost.

You have to realize that people will come in and out of your stream and you may only get one chance to impress them. What if that one time they stop by you are letting out a giant yawn. Now what?

If they click on your stream and it is super boring or lame, they won’t stick around. That’s why you need to have high energy throughout your stream.

StreamersPlaybook Twitch Stream

What has helped me to maintain high energy, and remain active my entire stream, is narrating what I do. Yeah, it was very weird at first, but once you get over the judging yourself part it is the best way to make sure there is talking your entire stream. No radio silence. Then when people pop in your stream, talk to them. 

Another thing that has helped me to maintain high energy when I stream is going for quality over quantity when it comes to my streams.

I use to try to stream 3-4 times a week, but realized that some of those streams were just wack. I didn’t even enjoy some of the streams so how could I expect anyone else to come in and enjoy my streams?

Instead, I now stream 2 days a week, and I come at those streams with ENERGY! I put a lot into those two streams and they are so much better. I have also noticed that since I started doing this I get more people coming to and sticking around my streams. 

So in my opinion, it is better to have less streams with more energy than to have more streams where you are barely getting by. Don’t underestimate having high energy in your streams. Trust me on that one. 

Don’t Compare Yourself to Others

Last of all, do not compare yourself to others. I know it can be discouraging to see major streamers with millions of followers and thousands of viewers, but don’t let it get to you. Comparing where you are at to where someone else is at will not get you anywhere. It will only bring you down and discourage you. 

Are you having fun streaming? Do you enjoy it? If the answer to both of these is yes, then who cares what anyone else is doing. It doesn’t matter. If someone has a million followers, good for them.

You are having fun and that’s what counts 🙂 Focus on what you CAN control and you will be much MUCH happier. That was a free life lesson. You’re welcome. 

As always, if you have any questions or just want to hang with me, stop by my Twitch channel here and say what’s up!



For even more streaming tips and how-to content check out my Youtube channel here. And if you want to check out my streams then stop by my Twitch channel here.

In the end, streaming is a lot of fun and these tips are meant to help you with your Twitch streams.

Good luck out there my friends and may all your streams come true. 

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👋 Hey There, I'm Eric!

Since 2018, I've been making streams come true.

I like gaming, streaming and watching other people stream. I created this website to help streamers, viewers, and gamers answer questions they have regarding live streaming, gaming, and PCs. I am a Twitch affiliate and currently stream on Twitch 3 days a week. I also have a Youtube channel where I make videos about streaming. I hope you find my content helpful. Feel free to stop by one of my streams to say hi.